diff --git a/include/extern.h b/include/extern.h
index 8f113ba2d..eafc34c92 100644
--- a/include/extern.h
+++ b/include/extern.h
@@ -2031,6 +2031,10 @@ extern int win32_cr_helper(char, struct CRctxt *, void *, int);
 extern int win32_cr_gettrace(int, char *, int);
 extern int *win32_cr_shellexecute(const char *);
 # endif
+#ifdef MSWIN_GRAPHICS
+extern int get_approx_window_column_width(void);
+extern int get_approx_window_rows(void);
+#endif
 #endif /* WIN32 */
 
 #endif /* MICRO || WIN32 */
diff --git a/sys/windows/windsys.c b/sys/windows/windsys.c
index 91dc8eb40..40c788a0d 100644
--- a/sys/windows/windsys.c
+++ b/sys/windows/windsys.c
@@ -1252,6 +1252,18 @@ error:
 }
 #undef win32err
 
+#ifdef MSWIN_GRAPHICS
+int
+get_approx_window_column_width(void)
+{
+    return GetSystemMetrics(SM_CXSCREEN) / 8;
+}
+int
+get_approx_window_rows(void)
+{
+    return GetSystemMetrics(SM_CYSCREEN) / 12;
+}
+#endif
 
 #include <shellapi.h>
 #define MAX_SYM_SIZE 100
diff --git a/win/curses/cursinit.c b/win/curses/cursinit.c
index 5fcd726b9..dd733a156 100644
--- a/win/curses/cursinit.c
+++ b/win/curses/cursinit.c
@@ -768,8 +768,18 @@ curses_init_options(void)
         if (console_width != 0)
             iflags.wc2_term_cols = console_width;
         else
-#endif
             iflags.wc2_term_cols = 110;
+#else
+        int width = get_approx_window_column_width();
+
+        if (width > 220)
+            width = 220;
+
+        if (width != 0)
+            iflags.wc2_term_cols = width;
+        else
+            iflags.wc2_term_cols = 110;
+#endif
     }
     if (iflags.wc2_term_rows == 0) {
 #ifndef MSWIN_GRAPHICS
@@ -778,8 +788,14 @@ curses_init_options(void)
         if (console_height != 0)
             iflags.wc2_term_rows = console_height;
         else
-#endif
             iflags.wc2_term_rows = 32;
+#else
+        int scrows = get_approx_window_rows();
+
+        if (scrows > 54)
+            scrows = 54;
+        iflags.wc2_term_rows = scrows ? scrows : 32;
+#endif
     }
     resize_term(iflags.wc2_term_rows, iflags.wc2_term_cols);
     getmaxyx(base_term, term_rows, term_cols);